1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to head worn visors and like devices, and more particularly to pivotally adjustable support arms and support pads for head-worn devices.
2. Description of the Background Art
Head worn visors are frequently utilized by golfers, tennis players, joggers, and other persons engaged in outdoor activities to reduce glare to the eyes and to prevent sunburn. Head worn visors are also commonly used in dental, medical and other professions to support face shields, eye shields, lights, reflectors, mirrors, magnifying optics, tinted glass or other apparatus from a wearer's head.
Conventional head worn visors typically comprise a headband with a forwardly disposed bill or shade and a pair of rearwardly disposed resilient arms which partially encircle and tensionally engage the sides of a wearer's head in order to hold or support the visor on the wearer's head. In another typical arrangement, the rearwardly disposed arms generally encircle the wearer's head and are coupled or joined together in the back of the wearer's head.
The aforementioned conventional visor types share a common deficiency; they are uncomfortable to wear, particularly for extended periods of time. In order to minimize discomfort, the visor must be frequently repositioned. This problem is most readily apparent with head worn visor devices having resilient, rearwardly disposed arms which tensionally engage the wearer's head, since the amount of force or tension applied by the resilient arms to the wearer's head generally cannot be controlled or adjusted, and the force or tension is applied to a relatively small area of the wearer's head. This is a particular problem for physicians, dentists, welders, and other persons who rely on face shields or other devices supported by a head worn visor since these persons frequently have both hands occupied in difficult or complex procedures and cannot free their hands to positionally adjust the head visor to a new position to increase comfort. Furthermore, these persons often wear eyeglasses with corrective lenses during the performance of these procedures, and, as is common to most eyeglasses, the arms of the eyeglass frame hook around the rear of the wearer's ear. Using the ears to additionally support a visor apparatus would significantly contribute to the discomfort of the wearer.
It will further be appreciated that eyeglasses suffer from the same aforementioned deficiencies; that is, they can be uncomfortable to wear because of an inadequate side support mechanism.
Accordingly, there is a need for an articulating support arm apparatus for head-worn devices such as visors and glasses which provides for positional control of rearwardly disposed tails instead of, which allows adjustment of the amount of tension or force exerted by the tails against the sides of the wearer's head, and which maintains the adjusted tension or force exerted by the tails against the sides of the wearer's head. The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies present in the background art.